Description

The School of Public Affairs (SPA) in the Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions at Arizona State University (ASU) is conducting a search for one full-time, benefits-eligible Professor of Practice and Executive Director to work on the Downtown Phoenix campus and lead the new Center for Local Government Education and Innovation. This is a non-tenured, fiscal year (12-month) position that will begin January 2026. Candidates should have an exceptional record of accomplishments in local government practice with experience mentoring staff and/or students in the profession. We anticipate the salary will fall within the range of $125,000 and $150,000 but a final determination will be made on the basis of the qualifications of the candidate selected.

The Center for Local Government Education and Innovation brings together three traditionally distinct areas in the School of Public Affairs. The newly established Center will lead local government related executive education for the School, including the Certified Public Manager Program, Certified Municipal Clerks Program, and Master Municipal Clerks Program. The Center will also oversee our local government fellowship programs, including the Marvin and Morris fellowship, rural communities fellows, and the Harrell-Hutchinson Visiting Practitioner. Finally, the Center will work with School faculty and staff to conduct applied research of public value. The new Executive Director will lead a dynamic staff to grow the Center’s leadership in local government innovation for the School and region. 

About the School:  

SPA has a rich and active culture that strongly values research and community engagement. Our faculty and staff are productive and collaborative. They have deep and broad expertise in a range of areas across public policy and public administration. As a result, SPA is ranked #11 in the nation by US News and World Report, and #5 in the U.S. by Shanghai Global Ranking of Academic Subjects. In addition, US News and World Report ranks SPA top 20 in ten different subfields, including #2 in Emergency Management and Homeland Security, #3 in Local Government Management, and #5 in Public Management and Leadership. Our breadth means we offer degrees at all levels and in multiple modalities. These include a bachelor of science in Emergency Management and Homeland Security (EMHS), a bachelor of science in Public Service and Public Policy, a Master's degree in Public Administration, a Master’s of Arts in EMHS, a Master’s of Science in Program Evaluation and Data Analytics, a Masters of Public Policy, and a PhD in Public Administration and Policy. There are seven active research centers located within the School with foci ranging from data policy, emergency management, organizational design, technology policy, elections administration, and local government. 

The Watts College of Public Services and Community Solutions has a student body of over 6,700 undergraduate and graduate students. We are located in the heart of downtown Phoenix, the fifth largest city in the United States. The School is within walking distance of Arizona’s State Capitol, Phoenix’s City Hall, and myriad restaurants, hotels, and other cultural amenities. Our values, reputation, and location enable us to attract students motivated by the promise of public service and drawn to the unique opportunity of an interdisciplinary public affairs education. For more information about the School of Public Affairs, please visit our website at https://spa.asu.edu.

Essential Functions:

• Teach a 1/1/1 course load (Fall/Spring/Summer) at the undergraduate or graduate level, delivering excellent in-person, online and/or hybrid instruction. 
• Oversee executive education programing for the School of Public Affairs 
• Provide strategic planning and oversight for the newly formed Center and work with School leadership to integrate the Center with academic programs. 
• Foster new alliances, partnerships, and collaborations with other organizations in the nonprofit, private and public sectors. Maintain and enhance existing relationships with key partners, stakeholders, and grantors.
• Oversee local government fellowship programs, including collaborating with the local government fellowship director to recruit municipalities, counties and other regional agencies, mentors, and donors for fellowship programs.
• Secure funding through strategic revenue generation and cost recovery initiatives across multiple sources—including foundation grants, private sector partnerships, government funding opportunities, entrepreneurial ventures, and individual donor cultivation—to support and expand other Center programs.
• Manage program managers and budget staff within the Center. 
• Partner with other SPA Center directors to identify opportunities for integrating local government programming into the CLGEI where strategically appropriate. 
• Collaborate with SPA faculty on local government engagement and research. 

Application Deadline:

The initial application deadline is October 8, 2025, 3:00 p.m. Arizona Time. Applications will continue to be accepted on a rolling basis for a reserve pool. Applications in the reserve pool may then be reviewed in the order in which they were received until the position is filled.

Please direct any questions about the position to Ulrich Jensen, the Search Committee Chair, [email protected]. 

Application Procedure: 

To apply, visit https://publicservice.asu.edu/content/jobs .

• Applicants must submit all of the following materials through an Interfolio dossier:
  • A cover letter of no more than 2 pages in length which includes the following:
  • Your interest in this position and your fit relative to the required and desired qualifications.
• A complete curriculum vitae or resume that details the applicant’s educational and professional history.
• Three references (name, title, organization, email address, phone number). Please note that references are not contacted until a candidate is identified as a finalist for the position and the candidate is notified they are a finalist.

All we do at ASU is guided and inspired by the University Charter, which reads: 

ASU is a comprehensive public research university, measured not by whom it excludes, but by whom it includes and how they succeed; advancing research and discovery of public value; and assuming fundamental responsibility for the economic, social, cultural and overall health of the communities it serves.

Successful candidates will demonstrate throughout their materials how their teaching, research, and service will contribute to the fulfillment of this charter.

A background check is required for employment. Arizona State University is a VEVRAA Federal Contractor and an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. For complete statements on ASU’s non-discrimination policies, please refer to: http://www.asu.edu/aad/manuals/acd/acd401.html and https://www.asu.edu/titleIX/.

In compliance with federal law, ASU prepares an annual report on campus security and fire safety programs and resources. ASU’s Annual Security and Fire Safety Report is available online at https://www.asu.edu/police/PDFs/ASU-Clery-Report.pdf. You may request a hard copy of the report by contacting the ASU Police Department at 480-965-3456.

Requirements

Required Qualifications:

• A masters degree in public administration or related field from an accredited institution. 
• Experience working in local government, preferably within a city and county manager’s office. 
• At least 10 years of growing responsibility leading and developing staff to deliver high-quality programs and achieve organizational objectives.
• Demonstrated expertise in budget development and financial oversight.
• Excellent written and spoken communication skills.
• 10 years management experience 
• Consistent with ASU’s Charter, a demonstrated commitment to inclusion.

Desired Qualifications:

• Experience teaching undergraduate and/or graduate courses, preferably in public administration and management, public policy, leadership or a related field.
• Experience teaching in-person, online, and/or hybrid courses – utilizing best practices.
• Mentoring experience in local government.
• Demonstrated engagement with local government professional organizations. 
• Demonstrated ability to work with culturally inclusive populations.
• Demonstrated experience with technology/course management systems and using innovative pedagogical tools.
• Experience overseeing grant funded programs.